Viewpoint: Scale and selectivity in urban and regional regeneration

Abstract

In May I was shown around part of the German Land of MecklenburgVorpommern in north-east Germany. Like so many parts of the old DDR, it suffered significant loss of population and severe erosion of its economy after German re-unification. The response from the German government has been massive investment in housing and infrastructure in all the towns and villages of this and other of the eastern lander. I was told that more than one trillion Euros have been pumped into the old eastern Germany. Travelling around the area, the impact is everywhere to be seen. Even the smallest village has new or refurbished housing, excellent resurfaced roads and new public facilities. The result for the casual traveller is the delight of visiting places which seem to have stepped out of a history book and yet have modern amenities. Unfortunately, good-quality renovation cannot hide the number of properties still in need of attention, nor hide the decaying forlorn Tor sale' signs on old granaries and commercial premises which have lost their raison d'etre. Declining population continues to be a serious problem and private investment is patchy. Nevertheless, as I flew back home to a post-industrial conurbation in northern England, there seemed much that was admirable in the strategy of universality which Germany has undertaken since re-unification. By contrast, British governments over the years have only ever stirred to tackle regional imbalances when they need votes or in fear of large-scale riots. Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that spreading resources everywhere in a declining area even with the large and generous funding applied in eastern Germany may not be the most effective approach to re-creating a viable economy and achieving successful economic and social regeneration. Certainly, those who are interested in seeking to regenerate the 'under-performing' economies of the northern regions in England would appreciate a more wholehearted public investment in infrastructure such as roads and public transport and a more determined effort both to keep those companies which have settled here and to give more positive incentives to others to move away from the South East. But beyond that there is the important lesson underpinned by those scattered charming but struggling towns in MecklenburgVorpommern: eventually choices will have to be made in terms of concentrating on those with more potential for growth, whether it be larger towns, or places with tourist potential on the Baltic shore or that have assets such as a marina on one of the large lakes in the area.